Khosla formally welcomed as UC San Diego's 8th chancellor

A week after marking his 100th day as UC San Diego’s chancellor, Pradeep Khosla we formally welcomed as the university’s eighth top administrator Friday.

Khosla’s investiture took place as part of the university’s Founders’ Day celebration, which was attended by several founding faculty members who began working at the university when it was started in 1960 and former chancellors Marye Anne Fox and Richard Atkinson.

“We are who we are because of our founders,” Khosla said. “You had a great vision, you produced a great product and I think going forward it is our responsibility to make sure what you created keeps on becoming better and better and better.”

Khosla said UC San Diego needs to be a student-centered institution as well as a research university that will create the best possible student experience for the next generation of scientists, artists, doctors and engineers.

“In my first weeks on the job, I was asked what my dream goal is for this campus,” Khosla said. “It’s to be the premier place that answers questions for humanity, that transforms lives, educates, enlightens, open minds. That acts locally and impacts globally.”

He acknowledged the recent passage of Proposition 30 by California voters which will bring new revenues to higher education by raising a statewide sales tax and income taxes on the wealthy, but also said the university needs to become more self-sufficient.

Khosla was presented a special chancellor’s medal, engraved with the names of the previous chancellors on the back, by UC President Mark Yudof, whose remarks were largely drowned out by noisy demonstrators calling for an end to student fee hikes.

Khosla later said he wasn’t surprised by the protesters. “They did what they had to do but they were polite and respectful,” he said.